Republicans Fall for Civility Trick, While Democrats Ramp Up Attacks

Yeah, here I go again. I really hate to say it, folks. I’ve been debating for the last 90 seconds ’cause that’s about all the free time I’ve had here, whether to say it or not. It’s unfortunate, but this State of the Union stuff tonight is gonna be a real test of the Republicans’ resolve and competence. It just is. I do not want to be critical, you people know that, I really do not want to be critical, but here’s Obama setting up one of his themes tonight, which is civility and moving to the center and we’ve all gotta get along and his guys are already out trashing Paul Ryan, who hasn’t said anything yet. He’s gonna be delivering the Republican response. I think it’s quite telling Michele Bachmann’s doing the Tea Party response. We’ve got two responses going on to this State of the Union show tonight, but I mean Eric Cantor has invited Pelosi to sit next to him at this thing tonight. (interruption) Well, yeah, just about a half hour ago I heard this. What? Yeah, really.

In the meantime, here we go, Salon.com: “The GOP’s War Against the Poor and Sick — The new Republican plan to cut the deficit: Hit poverty-stricken Americans where it will hurt the most.” This is the new civility. So here’s Obama getting all this credit for saying that we need to get along and get rid of all this horrible talk and so forth, and he cows the Republicans — they’re just reacting to what he and the media are saying. Where’d this idea of sitting together come from? Whose idea was it? Was it Coburn’s? Whoever it was, it’s all a reaction to Tucson, is it not? I don’t really care if it was a Republican or Democrat idea. It might have been Coburn who was the first Republican to agree to sit next to these Democrats. Whatever it is, it’s a trick. And it’s all reactionary. (interruption) That’s right, it was Mark Udall, who’s a Democrat. Now everybody’s reacting to sitting next to the Democrats, reacting to Tucson, reacting to Obama, reacting to the Democrats, and in the meantime, “The GOP’s War Against the Poor and Sick.” This is a story by Andrew Leonard, Salon.com, Republicans want the poor to die on the street like they used to.